Public Events
A comprehensive multi-agency assessment is carried out before any large scale public event held within our local area, which enables effective contingency plans to be put into place.
Safety First Policy
The ‘Safety First’ Policy document standardises the West Midlands Police approach to organised events staged in a public place and on all public highways.
Aims of ‘Safety First’
- To create a consultation process between police, partner agencies and event organisers
- To provide a consistent police approach that assists organisers to hold public events in a safe manner
- To explain the role of police
- To inform organisers that they are liable for the safe implementation of their events
In adopting ‘Safety First’ West Midlands Police believes that event organisers must take responsibility for the safety of participants and those directly affected by an event.
Casualty Bureau Overview
The Incident Information Centre has three fundamental tasks:-
- To obtain relevant information on the persons involved or potentially involved
- To process that information
- To provide accurate information to relatives and friends, to the Senior Investigating Officer, Senior Identification Manager and Coroner
This will involve:
- Receiving enquiries from the general public and recording ‘missing persons’ reports
- Formulating a comprehensive list of missing persons
- Recording details of survivors, evacuees, the injured and deceased, including their whereabouts
- Informing enquirers (by the most appropriate method) of the condition and location of these persons
- Collating data to assist in the identification of all persons involved
Where an incident occurs in the West Midlands Police Force area it is very likely that an outside force would perform the incident enquiry and casualty information functions, leaving the West Midlands IIC to deal with Identification issues. Notwithstanding any mutual aid agreements in existence.
As part of this process a telephone number is issued via the media for friends and relatives to ring, to register their concern and lodge details of the person they are worried about. This telephone number will be circulated to the media as soon as the IIC is operational - usually within two hours of the decision to open the IIC. In pre-planned events the opening time of the telephone line will be circulated in advance.
Large scale emergency at a public event
Local Example
Large scale public event eg open air concert
Local Impact
Potential for widespread panic and injuries
Evacuation of large numbers of people
Local Example
City centre evacuation
Local Impact
Evacuation of event grounds (and, possibly, surrounding premises) required; potential need to provide transport/accommodation; impact on local transport infrastructure.